The Start
by malibumomner
Summary: He wanted a partner. More than anything he wanted someone he could trust with all of him, who would accept his faults and understand his differences. He wanted to share himself with another person, someone who would care for him, not because they shared the same blood but because they shared a soul. He wanted a meister.
1. Chapter 1

When Soul first started at the DWMA, he had been nervous as all hell. He wasn't nervous about starting at a new school, he was _thrilled_ to be away from his parents, and he was eager to finally be out on his own and meet new people. He was terrified of finding a partner. He wasn't afraid that he wouldn't be able to find a partner, they had told him when he applied that scythes weren't very common and most Death City kids dreamed of making an actual Death Scythe, he'd probably get a ton of partner requests instantly.

No, he was afraid of actually successfully finding a partner.

He had never been close to another human being before. He didn´t have a particularly strong relationship with his parents, they always had his best interests in mind, but at times, he found them overbearing. While he loved his brother more than anything, they weren't as close as he would've liked. Wes had no issue being open with everyone, he was always honest with Soul and shared all of his secrets with his younger brother. Soul told Wes just enough so Wes wouldn't pry, but he preferred to keep things to himself. He had known he was a weapon for three whole days before his brother found out. When his weapon gene surfaced, he hadn't planned to tell anyone, he was just gonna lock himself in his room for a few days and figure out how to control his newfound abilities until he was sure they would never accidentally activate around other people, but Wes had happened to walk into his room during of Soul's practice sessions, and he was ecstatic for his little brother.

Of course, Wes told mom and dad, and they bought him a first class plane ticket to Death City to attend the finest school for weapons and meisters. Soul wasn't upset that his brother told his parents, he was grateful that he could earn how to use his newfound abilities and not accidentally kill someone. If anything, he wished he could be like his brother and be brave enough to tell his parents himself. More than anything he wished he wasn't terrified of intimacy but he was.

And here he was, trying to pick someone so they could entrust their lives to each other.

God he was screwed.

Even if he hadn't been wearing a suit, he would have felt out of place at the introduction event. His mother had demanded he wear the pinstripe jacket and pants to make a good first impression, but he was never one for formal attire. He wasn't the only one who had dressed nicely, but at least everyone else looked like they wanted to be there. He avoided everyone's eye, hoping no one would approach him. During the opening speech someone had explained how the school worked, and he remembered hearing them mention that some weapons could work on their own if they decided, but it was better to have a meister to increase their power. That was the only thing Soul had listened to, and it had given him a little hope. Maybe he could just work by himself? He obviously wasn't suited to have a partner, so it would be safer if he just fought alone.

He slouched away from the main hall where hopeful meisters and weapons mingled to contemplate his new option. There was absolutely no way he could partner with someone else. Being partners meant sharing everything, from their living arrangements down to their, what did they call it? Soul wavelength? How was he supposed to share his soul with a stranger if he couldn't even be truthful with his own family?

After wandering around for a while, he had found himself standing outside a music room. Some higher power must have been toying with him, there was no way he should have ended up outside the only music room in the entire school, the school was freakin huge! He pushed open the door and was greeted by a beautiful grand piano. There was something comforting in seeing a familiar object in a foreign place, and for a moment, he forgot his earlier dilemma. Dress shoes clicked against the tile as he crossed the room to the instrument, he placed his hand gingerly on the fall board, deciding if it was alright for him to play, or if he even really wanted to.

"Do you play?"

His head whipped around and his eye snapped to the door. A girl with pigtails and a trench coat stood in the doorway, hands held behind her back, her green eyes warm and inviting.

"Uhhh, yeah?"

"Could I hear you play? You can say no if you want." He was thankful she had given him the option to refuse her request, normally he would have immediately said no and run away, but some gut feeling was telling him to play for her. She exuded an aura of confidence that drew him to her. The pull scared and excited him.

"Yeah." She would listen.

He was sure of it.

Not in the way his parents listened, eagerly waiting for him to finish so they could offer constructive criticism. Not in the way Wes listened, hearing the parts he wanted to hear and telling Soul what he thought Soul wanted to hear. She would listen, and she would hear him.

All of him.

He opened the fall board and took his place on the bench. He heard the click of her boots as she stepped further into the room. He knew what song he should play. It was his song, the one he wrote when he needed to say something but didn't know how.

Ignoring the girl standing behind him, he slammed on the keys and pounded out his secrets. He played his anger for the parents that didn't give him enough affection when he was younger when he craved it so badly. Shouted his resentment toward Wes for being perfect at everything and alway apologizing for his perfection. Sang of his disappoint in himself, for not being strong enough to admit what he really wanted and for making himself miserable.

He wanted a partner.

More than anything he wanted someone he could trust with all of him, who would accept his faults and understand his differences. He wanted to share himself with another person, someone who would care for him, not because they shared the same blood but because they shared a soul.

He wanted a meister.

The last note rang out with a finality that locked in his decision. He was going to find a meister. Perhaps the same divine powers that brought him to the music room had also brought him this girl. He hadn't spoken more than three words to her and didn't know if she was a meister or if she was even looking for a partner, but he prayed that she could be the partner he needed. He rotated on the bench to face her, placing his hands in his pockets to hide how they shook with his nerves.

"What did you think?" He'd never had to ask before. She tilted her head in thought, although she was looking in his direction, she wasn't looking at him. Almost like she was looking through him, or inside of him. Finally her eyes focused on his and she smiled.

"I didn't really understand it, but I like it."

Soul barked out a laugh. Somehow it was exactly what he needed to hear. "What's your name?"

"Maka Albarn, what's yours?"

"Soul."

"Are you a weapon or a meister?"

"Weapon."

"What kind?"

"Scythe."

Her eyes lit up. "Are you looking for a partner? I'm looking for a scythe to make a better Death Scythe than my father!" Luck must have been on his side, or perhaps it was fate.

Soul closed his eyes and stood from the bench, squared his shoulders and stood at full height. It felt like some strange dream, but when he opened his eye she was still there.

"Sure, sounds interesting."

* * *

Maka was very patient with him, she had spent her whole life in Death City, although she had never been outside of the city, she knew that some of the customs were vastly different than the rest of the world and Soul would need to adjust. He was grateful for her take-charge attitude, otherwise he would have been completely helpless. She found them an apartment to live in and took care of the paperwork. She explained to him that the academy gave the students allowances each week for food and lodging, and they could pick up some extra cash by taking missions, they would split the rent and expenses, was that okay? Soul knew money wouldn't be an issue for him, his parents would also be sending him an allowance each month. When he assured her not to worry about the money, she looked like she was about to ask more about it, but she shrugged her shoulders and carried on. They had more important things to discuss.

They went together to fill out the paperwork that declared them as partners. The woman behind the desk told them to fill out their birth names in box one and then use their selected names for the rest of the document. Soul turned to Maka for clarification. She told him students were allowed to pick their own names at the school, it was a DWMA tradition. What paperwork did he have to fill out? Maka asked the woman at the desk for the correct forms and then helped him change his name.

Soul was a very fitting name for Death City, the first place he wouldn't be embarrassed by his name, but something felt wrong using the last name "Evans" when he was trying to create a new life for himself. Maka had already told him some of the duties of a weapon, he would learn more in class, but he wanted to know some of the major points so he wouldn't be completely behind. Weapons ate kishin souls. A fact he found both alarming and ironic. His name was Soul and he would be eating souls to earn a living. He wasn't an Evans anymore, he was an eater.

Soul Eater.

* * *

Maka's father insisted on meeting him. Maka had told Soul a bit about her family situation, and Soul knew meeting her father was going to be a disaster. They planned to meet outside the school, there was no way she was going to tell him where their apartment was, he'd never leave them alone if he knew.

"Makaaaaa, why did you let a disgusting boy move in with you, you should let papa pick a nicer partner for you!" Maka's eye narrowed dangerously, she clenched her fist, and her jaw tightened. Soul could see the fighter in her, knew the reason she was a meister. "Papa can pick the perfect partner for you, one that won't steal your innocence!" Soul was pissed, how could this guy assume so much about him, he didn't even know him!

Before Soul had a chance to defend himself, Maka shifted her stance and _growled._ _S_ oul looked to her curiously and caught the moment she brought her hands into a fighting position, and Soul was positive she was gonna punch Spirit in the face. She surprised him by rotating her body and tornado roundhouse kicking her father in the face into the wall of the school. Soul's jaw dropped, what was he getting himself into?

She grabbed his arm, "Soul's my partner! I picked him myself and he's perfect for me, you're gonna have to accept that or I'll never speak to you again." She turned in a huff and yanked Soul after her as she began the descent down the school's massive staircase. Souls look of surprised morphed into a grin. He knew exactly what he was getting into, he had the coolest partner ever.

Death City laws were confusing to Soul.

By 13, you could have a drivers license, by 15 you could vote, and by 18, you could drink. In Soul´s world, most kids weren't taken seriously until they were 18, sometimes older, but in Death City, most kids were practically adults by the time they were 14. Make explained that most Death City kids experienced more in their lifetime by the time they were 12 than most adults outside of the city had ever seen in a lifetime. A lot of kids attended DWMA and moved away from their parents at a fairly young age.

You couldn't send children to war against the evil in the world and not treat them as adults.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Soul spent the next few weeks before school studying traffic rules and taking a drivers Ed course. He had driven golf carts and dune buggies with Wes in the past and passed the class easily. He asked Maka what she thought about buying a car, they would need it to get to missions that were further away. Maka suggested they see if the school would help cover the cost, they usually covered traveling expenses, maybe a car would qualify. Soul insisted on paying for it himself, he had a pretty decent savings account and could afford something used. He could have easily afforded something new, but Maka didn't need to know that. She went with him to look at cars, to make sure they got something practical and safe. Maka talked to the sales person, discussing makes and models, mileage and other features, and Souls eyes wandered to the one vehicle on the lot that looked anything but safe and practical.

"No. Come on, Soul, a motorcycle?"

"Maka, it's perfect." She rolled her eyes.

"It's the ugliest color I've ever seen. Can't you at least look for one in a nicer color?"

"Nah, this one's cool."

"Oh Death, fine." She waved over the salesperson. "Excuse me! How much is the bike?

Soul went back and took the class to legally drive a motorcycle, at Maka's insistence. A week later he was riding through the streets of Death City on the gaudiest orange motorcycle he'd ever seen, but he loved it. Maka asked if she could go for a ride with him.

"Um, I didn't buy a sidecar yet."

She giggled, "There's a seat behind you, silly."

"Oh, right." She strapped on the extra helmet they bought, swung her leg over the back and wrapped her arms around his torso. He stiffened. When was the last time he had been this close to someone? Before he had left home, his mother had hugged him, before that, moments of physical affection were rare for him. Maka would have to hold on to him for the whole ride. This felt stronger than any of the fleeting hugs he had ever gotten from his mother or any of the affectionate hair ruffling or playful punches he got from his brother. Maka was trusting him with her life in this moment. She was letting him take control, and he was flooded with overwhelming feeling of wanting to make someone else proud for the first time in his life. He would make Maka proud, he would be a good partner for her.

"Soul, you okay?"

"Yeah... Never driven with a passenger before, hold on tight." She squeezed him a little tighter. He could get used to this.


	2. Chapter 2

Moving in together was a learning process for both of them. Soul was not accustomed to doing things on his own, and Maka was not familiar with depending on someone else. After her mother had moved out, her father spent little time at home and she became self sufficient. They agreed they were going to split everything evenly, rent, chores, cooking, all responsibilities, but when Maka caught him Googling how to do laundry she suggested they work on chores and cook meals together until he felt comfortable doing it himself, plus it would be a great way for them to bond as partners.

He was embarrassed by how much he didn't know, she was younger than him (only by a few months, but it seemed like a big difference to him) but was already way more capable than him. She assured him that he would get better at all of this, it was a lot to adjust to so quickly. She never asked about his past, why he was lacking so many basic skills, he could tell she wanted to, but she respected his privacy and tried her best to keep him comfortable.

She had no issue sharing her past with him. Every night over dinner, she would tell him about herself, sharing stories about growing up in Death a city so he could learn more about her and what the city was like. She told him about Black Star, her childhood friend who was more like her adopted brother, and his incredibly sweet partner, Tsubaki. Tsubaki and Black Star had partnered up a few weeks before she had met Soul, she had only talked to Tsubaki a few times but she had already decided she liked her. Anybody who would willingly partner with the boy must have been a saint.

She spoke fondly of her mother. Her inspiration and the strongest person she knew. Kami Albarn was originally from Japan but had moved to Nevada to become a Meister, she had partnered with Spirit Albarn, turned him into a Death Scythe, and married and gotten pregnant at a young age. Maka reluctantly told him about her father. His cheating and her parents divorce. It explained her strained relationship with him and her anger when he had insulted her partner the first time they met. She would get upset at times when she spoke about her mother. Soul could tell she missed her mother, but he could feel there was something more. A feeling of abandonment perhaps, but it didn't feel like his place to discuss it.

When she asked him questions about his past, she tried not to pry, asking questions mostly to compare their experiences growing up. She was really curious about schools outside of Death City. There were some classes she never had in school, and she was fascinated when Soul mentioned his history classes. She asked how teachers taught history without discussing Death and Kishin, they were an important part of the history of the world. Soul didn't have an answer for her.

Based on the number of books that filled their apartment, he guessed she liked to read, so one night he called Wes and asked if he wouldn't mind sending some of his old school textbooks to his new address. A few days later, the books showed up and he offered them to Maka. To say she was thrilled was an understatement. She stayed up most of the night to read them. He found her the next morning passed out on their old worn couch, one of his old algebra books lying open on her chest. Carefully, he removed the book from her hand, went to grab a blanket and laid it gently over her.

Guilt struck him, she was trying so hard to learn more about him, working around his reluctance to indulge too much about himself. He wanted to tell her, he really did, but she was right, this was a lot to adjust to so soon. He was going to tell her someday. He just had to prepare himself.

The least her could do was make her breakfast, to say thanks for being such a cool partner. He had gotten pretty good at making breakfast, he was sure he could do it on his own. She was startled awake when the spoke detector went off.

She bolted into the kitchen, "Soul, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I don't know why the stupid alarm went off. Didn't even burn anything this time." Using the handle of a wooden spoon, he hit the reset button on the detector to quiet the high pitched beeping.

"You forgot to turn on the vent over the stove." Maka flipped the switch. "Smoke detectors are stupidly sensitive."

"Oh. " Feeling like an idiot again, he moved the pan from the stove and started dividing the scrambled eggs onto two plates. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Did you make me breakfast?"

"Uh, yeah?" She placed her hand on his shoulder, he glanced at her and was stupidly delighted when he saw the genuine smile on her face.

"That was really sweet of you, thank you." He turns back to his task so she can't see the blush on his cheeks. He doesn't know how she does it, but she makes his small gestures seem like the biggest gifts he could have given her, and it makes him feel better about himself.

"Don't sweat it. It's the least I could do."

* * *

Maka has an incredible knack for making friends, and being her partner means that her friends become his friends too. Black Star is a little overwhelming when he first meets him.

Make that super overwhelming.

The first time he sees the strange boy, he tries to hit Maka with a flying kick to the face. Maka narrowly avoids by bending backwards at her knees, in a move that reminds Soul of The Matrix. She straightens just as Black Star lands and turns to face her.

"Oy! no fair, you weren't supposed to duck, Maka!" He's unnecessarily loud, and it puts Soul on edge.

"I wasn't going to let you just kick me in the face!" Make shouts back, she spares a glance over her shoulder, "Hi Tsubaki!"

Soul expects Black Stars partner to be just as insane as he is, but it pleased to find a tall girl who personifies calmness and modesty. "Good morning, Maka! Is this your new partner?" She turns to Soul with a smile and bows politely. "My name is Tsubaki, it's very nice to meet you."

"Soul, good to meet you too." Soul nods his head in response.

"Oy, who's this weirdo?" Soul whips his head around and Black Star is uncomfortably close to him. He takes a step back to regain some of his personal space.

"Who you calling weirdo, you blueberry freak?" He's never been so rude to someone in his life, but something about this boy is telling him social constructs don't exist to him. The boy puts his fists on his hips, throws his head back and cackles loudly.

"I like him! " Black star decides and gives Maka a thumbs up. "Name's Soul right? Cool name, not as amazing as your God Black Star, but still pretty good. I can accept you as one of my followers!" He cackles again. Souls eyes seek out Maka for help, she merely shrugs and turns to converse with Tsubaki. Black Star slings his arm over Souls shoulders, "hey, you into video games? Bet I could kick your ass in mortal combat." Not how he expected it to happen, but he realizes that Black Star had decided they were friends.

Soul rolls his eyes, "you're on freak."

* * *

The first time they fight together, Soul becomes acutely aware of the growing soul wavelength between them.

A few months into their lessons, Sid has the students spar between each other to get accustomed to their weapon partners and apply some of their physical education lessons. Maka's up against a boy named Ox and his partner. Soul transforms into a full scythe, still a strange experience for him, and lands in Maka's waiting hand.

As soon as they make contact, Soul can feel their bond. He had felt traces of the link since moving in with her, but now it hits him full force. If he focuses hard enough, he can read her emotions and feel a little bit of what she's thinking, not really like reading her mind, more like they're communicating without words.

He feels like he should alarmed, this isn't exactly normal, but there's something comforting about it. Now he understands how weapons and meisters can trust each other so completely in battle. This is the definition of teamwork. They make the choices together, he can watch her back while she focuses on the battle at hand. She spins and maneuvers him like she's done it her whole life. He guesses she's practiced fighting with a staff when she was younger, probably fighting against Black Star.

Soul notices she's a little reckless with his blade, obviously not used to fighting with an actual scythe. At some point she swings him low, his blade making a path towards her leg, and he knows he's going to leave a nasty cut on her. Panicked, he wills himself to move and his path changes, Maka's startled by the sudden movement, but she adjusts herself, understanding what happened and feeling his concern over the link.

Sid calls for the end of the spar, providing both meisters with positive feedback, he suggests they practice in their free time and excuses them from the rest of the lesson. Maka drags Soul to the forest and decides they should practice immediately. He can still feel traces of the bond lingering even though he's outside of his weapon form. He can feel her excitement and giddiness at finally being able to wield him. He's positive he's just as excited as she is, and he's more than eager to feel her soul wavelength again.

* * *

Their first battle against a kishin is a little messy, but they make it out alive with the first of one hundred souls. It's awkward applying what they've learned in class to an actual battle, but Maka learns fast and adjust quickly, slaying the low level kishin with little issue. Souls baffled when presented with the corrupted soul. He knows he should be able to eat it, the question is how? They never really covered this in class. Is it like eating an apple? Can he chew it? There's no way he can swallow it whole. Maka senses his worry and tells him yes, he can chew it. It doesn't matter how he eats it as long as the whole soul is consumed.

He pops the whole thing into his mouth, chewing slowly. His sharp teeth were definitely suited for eating souls. There's no taste, more of a sensation. Like chewing mint gum and then going outside in the dead of winter. It's not an unpleasant sensation. When he swallows, he feels satisfied, like he's just eaten a filling meal after a grueling practice session.

"How was it?" He forgot Maka had been watching the whole time.

He ponders for a moment. "Kinda weird. It's not too bad." He doesn't know how to explain it to her, but she understands through the link.

"Well, you only have to do that 99 more times and then eat a witch's soul."

It seems like a lot, but so had a hundred souls, and they already had one. It was a small accomplishment, but it was a start, they were one step closer to their goal.

Soul would learn later on that weapons didn't have to literally eat souls. Each weapon would consume kishin souls in a way that suited them best. The Thompson sisters would remain in weapon form, Kid would feed the souls into their chambers as one would load a clip into a normal gun. Tsubaki would embrace the souls and absorb them directly into her, a final moment of comfort for the tainted soul.

Soul was fine with eating the souls, he did decide to call himself Soul Eater after all, he had a certain image to maintain.

On the way back to the apartment, Soul noticed Maka walked a little slower and stiffer than usual. Was she limping? There was definitely the start of a nasty bruise on her ankle. Oh Death, it was his fault, he should have been faster and more alert. He hadn't given her nearly enough notice when he saw the monsters razors tail aiming to slice off her head. She narrowly avoided it and made a sloppy landing, probably spraining her ankle. She wasn't dead, but she was still hurt because of him. His job as a weapon was to be the perfect tool for her to use to attack kishin and defend herself. It wasn't fair that he was nearly indestructible in his weapon form and she was so vulnerable, though she'd probably hit him with a book if he ever said that out loud. He would just have to work harder to make sure he made no mistakes, he couldn't risk her life.

He was her partner after all, he had certain duties to uphold.


	3. Chapter 3

In the church with the doors that only open in, he takes a hit for her. It's first time fear immobilizes her and she won't listen to his call for her to block, she can't risk him getting hurt. When the demon sword went to strike, there was no doubt he would block her, it was his job, and he had promised to protect her.

During his recovery, he can feel her inner turmoil over the link. She feels guilty, like it's somehow her fault the demon sword could cut through weapons. Soul would tell her she's being stupid, except he's been in her shoes before, the feeling of letting your partner down is hauntingly familiar, so when she resolves to get stronger for him, he decides they'll get stronger together.

They are partners after all.

* * *

"Hey, move your feet."

He's sprawled across the sofa, taking up as much space as he can manage. Thankfully, they have the day off from lessons, and even Maka has decided they could take a break from practicing. He intends to stay glued to the couch all day. He's not moving for anything or anyone.

"No way. I'm comfy." He gives her a cheeky grin he's sure makes him look like Black Star. He was picking up on too many of Black Star's mannerisms lately.

He can feel her rolling her eyes through the link. "Just lift your legs for a second. You can put your stinky feet in my lap, I just wanna sit and read." He should be afraid she's gonna smash the book into his face, but by now he's learned how far he can push her before she blows. He'll move his feet when she looks like she's about to strike.

"Not happening Maka. It's couch potato day and I'm watching crappy movies all day and not moving."

She narrows her eyes at him and calculates for a moment. Just as he knows how far she can be pushed, Maka knows his limits too, and he can tell she's about to test them. In the craziest, stupidest move she's ever done in the entirety of their partnership, she drops her book on the table and climbs over him on the couch.

"Wh-what?" He splutters, while she settles herself comfortably on top of him, laying between his legs, snaking her arms behind his back and resting her head on his chest. One of his hands grips the remote and the other clutches the back of the couch.

This is crossing some sort of line.

Partners don't just lie on top of each other, do they? This seems way to intimate to be doing with a friend. Then again, he's never had a friend before her, maybe this was something friends usually did?

"If it's couch potato day, and we only have one couch, you have to share." She prods the link to see if he was uncomfortable with this, admittedly, he was enjoying it way more than he thought he should. What should he do with his hands? Would it be weird if he held her?

Sensing his discomfort, she tugs her arm from underneath him and for a moment his heart sinks. But she doesn't move away from him, instead, she awkwardly angles her arm to reach for his hand gripping the sofa and guides his arm to rest across her back. Yes, he can hold her. It's only fair. Her arm sneaks back underneath him and he's never felt better in his life.

He can feel her breath through the cotton of his shirt. "So, what are we watching?"

"Uhh, don't know, haven't decided yet." He could watch anything and it wouldn't matter, as long as she stayed on top of him. He starts scrolling through the movie selection on Netflix, looking for something he's sure she would enjoy. She mumbles into his shirt. "How are you so warm?"

"Huh?" He tries to look at her face, but all he can see is hair.

"How are you so warm? You're really comfy." He knows he's blushing. He wonders if she can feel the heat radiating off his face.

"Well, I have someone lying on top of me, that'll usually warm ya right up."

"No, I mean, you're always warm. Like, when we're home, I see you walking around in shorts and I'm wearing a sweater. And when you're a weapon, you always feel warm, which doesn't make sense, cause you're metal?"

"I don't know. I didn't grow up in the desert, maybe desert kids just run cold to survive the heat. Or maybe it's a weapon thing." She hums, accepting his explanation. He puts on a movie they've seen before, something they both enjoyed, and carefully reaches out to set the remote on the coffee table. His hand joins the other across her back, his fingers grazing the ends of her loose hair.

Tentatively, he runs his fingers through her hair, carefully combing out the tangles and reveling in the silky texture. Her side of the link whispers her bliss at the sensation. He isn't paying attention to the movie at all, he's enthralled by her hair and the fact that they're even in this position. He would have never imagined lounging on the couch with her, but now he's greedy and wants to do this daily. He hopes she does too.

It's not long before she falls asleep on him. He's stupidly pleased but regrets not eating food before lying down. His stomach is gonna start growling soon and shes gonna hear it. He doesn't want her to move, but they're gonna need to eat soon. Just as he predicted, his stomach rumbles and Maka shifts. She lifts her head and peers at him with sleepy eyes.

"Pizza" she mumbles, and slowly drags herself away from him. As soon as she sits up, the chill of the room hits him and he wants to pull her back to him. She stands, stretches, and goes to place their usual pizza order. He sits up and rotates his neck, glad to be able to stretch but mourning the loss of Maka's body on top of him.

Death, he's pathetic.

The pizza arrives and they sit on the couch to eat. Normally, Maka would yell at him for not eating at the table, but he has declared it couch potato day and she can make an exception. They eat their fill, and Soul starts the fourth movie of the day. Maka leaves the living room and Soul tries to hide his disappointment.

She's back moments later with a blanket and pillow in tow. "I'm freezing. I'm stealing your warmth." She plops the pillow on on edge of the couch. "Lie down."

He's happy to oblige.

* * *

Whenever they sit on the couch together now, they're always touching. Her legs crossing over his, his head in her lap as she plays with his hair, one of them lying on top of the other completely. It's pure bliss for him. Today he's watching a movie, his back's against the arm of the couch and she lounges with her back pressed against his chest, reading a book. They don't question why they sit together so closely anymore, it's just something that happens. She's stopped using the excuse of her being cold and him being warm long ago, although she is freakishly cold all the time. If it's below 80 degrees, she's practically frozen, and Soul thinks he's lucky he runs warm, they're a perfect match.

His phone starts buzzing just out of his reach on the coffee table. "Maka, can you hand me that?" She looks up from her book and uses her foot to drag the phone to the edge of the table. Somehow grabbing it between her toes, she lifts her leg straight up, dangling the phone dangerously over their heads. He reaches up to grab it. "I said hand it to me, not foot it to me, ya nasty." She just laughs and go back to her book. Soul checks the caller ID and sighs. "Maka, I gotta take this in private."

"Oh, okay." She gets up so he can leave. He feels her eyes on his back as he enters his room and swipes the screen to accept the call.

"Hey Wes."

"Hey Sou! How have you been lately? Just wanted to make sure everything is okay."

"Things are good, still alive." He starts pacing his bedroom. His brother usually only calls once a month to check in, and he's already called last week. He knows something's up. "What do you need Wes?"

His brother sighs into the phone. "Sorry Soul, mom and dad are insisting you come home this year for the Christmas party. We haven't seen you since you left, and we get that you're busy with school and fighting... Monsters, but you've been gone for almost four years. We miss you." Soul knew he couldn't avoid going back home forever, and he feels guilty for leaving his brother for so long, but life really had gotten busy for him. He wasn't just making excuses, he was working hard! "Is there anyway you can request time off to come see us? Just for a few days, for the party."

" yeah... I can probably work something out."

"Perfect! We'll send you a plane ticket, overnight mail, you should get it tomorrow! Oh man, I can't wait to see you! I've missed you so much!"

Guilt hits Soul again. "I've missed you too. I'll see you next week." They hang up and Soul rubs his temples. He doesn't mind going back home, but he wanted to be here for Christmas. Kid and the Thompson sisters were throwing a huge party at Gallows Manor and all of his friends would be there. Now he was going to be stuck with a bunch of strangers on Christmas Eve and be forced to dance with a bunch of girls who were more interested in his last name than him. He'd much rather be dancing with his partner.

When he returns to the living room, Maka's still engrossed in her book, her legs propped up on the coffee table. She doesn't look up at him, but he can feel her prodding through the link, sensing his frustration and trying to figure out what's going on. He flops onto the couch and buries his face in her lap. She marks her place in the book and places it on the arm of the sofa. Her hands run through his hair. "What's wrong?"

He shifts his head to the side so he can speak. "My brother just called, my parents want me to come home for Christmas."

Hands stop moving. "Oh" She sounds about as disappointed as he feels.

"Sorry, I know we had plans, but I've been putting off going back for a few years."

"I'm not upset about the plans, I'm just a little surprised... I didn't know you had a brother." His face scrunches in confusion. He's sure he's mentioned Wes before. Hadn't he?

Fuck, he forgot. He doesn't talk about himself.

He carefully turns himself so he's lying on his back, his head still resting in her lap. He glances up at her quickly before closing his eyes and breathing in deeply through his nose and releasing out his mouth. "His name is Wes." He starts slowly, taking another deep calming breath. "He's my older brother. Before I met you, he was my best friend." Her hand start playing with his hair again, her other squeezes his arm comfortably.

He tells her everything,

She doesn't ask questions, she just runs her hand through his hair and let's him vent. He starts with his happier memories growing up, he doesn't have too many, but he shares them first. Then he tells her how his parents expectations for him and trying to live up to Wes's example fucked him up. He tells her he always felt alone, even when he was with Wes. He's afraid to be alone. There's no way Wes would want to actually spend time with a loser like him. His parents were probably happy when they could send him away. He was a burden on them.

He cries.

The last time he cried in front of someone else was when he was a child. Now, he weeps in front of her. She wipes the tear from his face and strokes his cheeks and eyes, offering comfort the best she can.

He sits up, only so she can hold him better. He needs this. He needs her. And she knows. She holds him and assures him his parents love him, they wouldn't ask him to come back if they didn't. She tells him how much she need him. He's the best thing that's ever happened to her, she's his partner and she loves him. He knows. He feels it over their link everyday, but it's still nice to hear it out loud.

When he calms, he tells her he's not ready to be alone again. She sleeps in his bed that night. They've shared a bed on missions before and when one of them has a nasty nightmare. Tonight feels different, and it might be because he's asked her. He falls asleep in her arms.

She sees him off at the airport. He's not as nervous to go back home, but he still wishes he didn't have to be away from her for Christmas. Wes picks him up from the airport and asks about a million questions before they can even get to the car. For once, Soul doesn't mind answering, he's finally proud of himself and doesn't mind sharing stories with Wes. His parents are just as eager to see him and hear about his time at school. He spends an embarrassing amount of time talking about Maka. To be fair, they're with each other constantly so he doesn't really have much else to talk about. His mother raises a brow and asks when she'll get to meet this girl. Soul has to convince her that they're just partners, it's not what she thinks.

He helps them set up for the party, remembering the grand parties his parents threw in his youth. He still doesn't care for big parties, but he can tolerate them when his friends are around. As they cover round tables in white table cloths, Wes suggests multiple times that Soul bring Maka to the next party. Their parents will probably want to meet their future daughter in law. Soul shoves Wes away growling "bite me." They're not like that. Wes only laughs and they get back to work.

The night of the party, Soul plays the role of dutiful son. He chats with familiar guests, introduces himself to new people, and of course, he's forced to dance with girls who are falsely nice to him. He steps outside briefly for some air. Kid's party is probably way more fun than this. Blackstar's probably spiked the punch by now and things should be getting out of hand pretty soon. It still feels wrong for him not to be with them tonight. He's glad he could spend the last few days with his parents, but Christmas Eve shouldn't feel like a business meeting. He's gotta get home, to his friends. To his family.

He finds his parents and makes an excuse, the school called, there's an emergency and they need him back. His parents hug him and thank him for coming to see them, his mother insists he bring his partner next time. He has no issue with that, he promises he'll bring her. Wes offers to drive him to the airport, he's itching to leave the party for a bit too. Soul uses the school appointed credit card to get on the first flight back to Death city.

Wes pulls him into a tight hug before he boards. "Don't be a stranger, man. And next time, bring your partner with so you don't ditch your family on Christmas Eve, alright?" Wes smirks at him. Soul smiles back.

"She's family too, can't just abandon her on Christmas." He shrugs. Wes gets it. Soul boards the plane, it's about an half hour flight to Death City Airport and he wishes he had changed out of his party clothes. A black suit jacket with matching pants and a dark green dress shirt. He vaguely realizes how much the shirt matches her eyes. Green is her color. He's kinda hoping she'll be wearing green at the party so they match.

The plane lands and he rushes to be the first one off. Racing to the parking lot, he finds his orange motorcycle and straps on his luggage. He peels out and rushes to Kid's manor. He parks the bike outside and tries to fix his hair with the small handle bar mirrors on his bike. His hair is hopeless, but he can at least fix his tie. He finds her as soon as he walks in. He sneaks up behind her, hoping that with so many people in the room, she can't sense him with her Soul perception.

He covers her eyes, "guess who?"

"Soul!" She squeals and whips around to face him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I can't believe you're here!" He squeezes her. She's wearing a red dress. Red is his color. They match perfectly.

"Merry Christmas, Maka."

She smiles into his shoulder, "Merry Christmas, Soul."


	4. Chapter 4

After the defeat of the Kishin Asura, madness in the world returns to a manageable balance, Kid assumes his father's responsibilities, Soul achieves Death Scythe status, and life continues. Maka and Soul still go on missions together, Kid won't separate them, they're the perfect team. Plus, Kid can't imagine wielding anything other than his twin pistols. Maka and Soul work together so seamlessly, at time Soul believes they're indestructible. When reality hits, it pulverizes him.

They were on one of their usual missions, taking down a fairly easy kishin. Maka's soul perception has gotten so strong over the years she can practically battle with her eyes closed. She takes advantage of her ability, reading the opponent to predict their next move, surveying the area to prevent civilian casualties, and when they're in soul resonance, he can feel her powers too. He feels when she picks something up on her radar before the monster has a chance to catch the smell.

There's a soul nearby.

In the middle of the goddamn forest.

The kishin shoots off after it, Maka hot on its tail. They had taken special care to corner the kishin in the forest, this thing moved fast but needed wide open spaces to build up speed and the cluster of trees would slow it down in battle. The creature wove between the trees, not moving at its full speed but still fast enough to evade them. Black Star and Tsubaki had taught Maka how to leap through trees, using the branches to push themselves faster and father. Maka pushed, they had to get to the civilian first.

She reaches with her perception to find the stray soul. Soul can feel him too, a few yards ahead, just out of sight. He sees traces of a figure through her senses, an older man with a camera, probably a wildlife photographer. Maka manages to pass the kishin, but she doesn't intercept it, she keeps going straight to the civilian.

The man is startled when she breaks from the trees into the clearing, nearly dropping his camera. Before the man can react, she turns her back to him, bracing for impact.

"Stay behind me."

The kishin bursts out and meets her, claws scraping against steel. Maka holds the beast back, keeping distance between it and the man. Soul can see the man is terrified, but he remains calm and listens to Maka's single command, shifting himself to remain behind her so the Kishin can't get closer. Soul sees the moment when the man trips, his camera shutter snapping when it hits the ground. The sound pulls the kishin's attention away from Maka for a moment, and leaps past her to the defenseless man.

It raises its claws to strike, the man frozen in fear, but Maka dives between the two. Souls blade rips through the kishin's chest just as its claws pierce Maka's stomach.

The kishin flashes out of existence. Maka falls forward, Soul shifts just in time to catch her before she hits the ground. He wants to scream. He wants to wake up and see it's a dream. He should call for help, but he can't move.

"We have to apply pressure to stop the bleeding!" The man pulls off his flannel shirt and holds it to Maka's wounds. The action jump starts something in Souls brain and he finally moves. He fumbles to get his phone out of his pocket and calls Stein. When Stein answers he can only manage to repeat "please save her please save her" and somehow it's enough. Stein tells him to hold on, they have their GPS location, help will be there in five minutes.

Soul cradles her limp body to him, sobbing into her neck. The old man cries with him, pressing his blood soaked shirt into her stomach, whispering apologies Soul can't hear.

Help arrives, Soul doesn't want to part with her, but they'll save her, so he lets go. He barely remembers the trip to the school's hospital, the only thing he recalls is the photographer keeping a hand on Soul's shoulder to calm him. The man is more composed than Soul, he finds out later the man is a war veteran, so the staff directs questions to him.

Soul sits in the hard plastic chairs outside of the operating room, waiting for Stein to come out, or anybody to tell him she's okay. Spirit arrives half an hour into her operation, and for once Soul's afraid to face him. Despite Maka and Spirit's constant bickering, he knows they love each other.

Spirit was overbearing at times, but he had stayed with her when Maka's mother left both of them. He tried his best to be both parents to her and make up for his past mistakes and Soul knew Maka saw it. Soul knew Maka got worried whenever Spirit went overseas on business, she would pretend to hate his phone calls whenever he boarded the plane and landed, but he could see her relief when she knew he was safe. They loved each other in a weird way, and they had just started repairing their strained relationship.

Surely, Spirit will blame Soul for this. He thinks back to the first time he met Spirit and thinks maybe Maka should have let Spirit pick a better partner for her. Spirit had been fighting for years, he would have been able to find a better partner for her with better qualities and skills.

Soul stands when Spirit approaches, keeping his head down and preparing for the worst. With no hesitation, Spirit embraces him. "It's gonna be okay kid, she's not gonna leave you."

Soul clutches him and breaks down completely, wailing as the old man keeps him on his feet. He can't lose her, neither of them can lose her. She's the only reason either of them are still fighting.

Spirit sits with him while they wait for news on Maka. Neither of them speak. No words are needed. When Stein emerges from the operating room, Spirit grasps Souls arm. They both hold their breath.

"She's gonna be fine, we're moving her to a recovery room and you can see her soon."

The breathe again. Soul would cry of joy if he wasn't pretty sure he´s dehydrated. When they're allowed into her room, Soul let's Spirit take the spot by her bed to hold her hand. He can't stay for long, he still has Death Scythe duties, he'll probably have to leave before she's awake, and Soul knows he needs this moment with her. Soul leans against the wall near the window, watching her sleep, content to know she's alive.

"I'm glad she picked you." Spirit's eyes stay on Maka's face. Soul's surprised by his words but says nothing. "I never wanted her to be a meister. I know I couldn't hold her back and I didn't doubt her abilities, but as her father... I didn't want to risk losing her. " his voice catches and he clears his throat. "You two are good partners. The best actually. I know no matter what, you might be a little worse for wear, but you'll bring each other home. It's just nice to know that you love her just as much as she loves you."

Soul's glad Spirit isn't looking to see his blush. He knows that he and Maka love each other, but the way Spirit says it has stronger implications. Even though he doesn't say it directly, he knows this is Spirits apology for his behavior towards their partnership. Soul wishes Maka was awake to hear it, but he guesses this apology is meant just for him. Spirit clears his throat again, "I should be heading out, I have a couple of meetings to attend today. " he stands and bends to kiss her forehead. He straightens and turns. "Call me if you guys need anything." He gives Soul a small wave over his shoulder as he leaves.

Soul takes his place in the chair. Their link dimly focuses when he takes her hand. Things feel normal to him when they maintain a low level of resonance. Most of his panic from earlier stemming from the the fact that he couldn't feel her. They can always feel each other, even in their sleep, but earlier the connection stopped completely and he was sure she was dead. It's more faint than he's used to, but he can feel her now. Comforted by the link and feeling a offhand side effect of the drugs that work on her, he drifts to sleep, still holding her hand.

When she stirs later he wakes too. She's drowsy and disorientated, he calms her over the wavelength. She manages to open her eyes and smiles sheepishly at him. "Sorry" it's all she can offer him in her drug induced state.

He pulls her hand to his face to kiss it. He mumbles against her skin.

"Just don't do it again."

* * *

Love is a complicated, uncool thing that Soul would rather not deal with. One minute, he's thinking how lucky it is that they have each other and his greatest joy in life is seeing her happy, the next he wants to castrate Black Star for casually draping his arms across her shoulders, unfamiliar and possessive "mine" flashing through his mind.

He's a mess and he can't even talk to his best friend about it. So he does the next best thing and confides in Black Star.

"What are you, a pussy? Just tell her and bone already."

So maybe Black Star wasn't his next best idea, but considering this is the boy who has unofficially declared himself Maka's brother and has literally punched boys in the face for even glancing at her glorious legs, Soul takes Star's positive reaction to his confession as a good sign. He has one less thing to worry about. Now he actually has to tell her.

Or... He could just repress his feelings.

He picks the latter option.

It shouldn't be too hard to hide his feelings from her, he's pretty good at hiding feelings, he had been doing it for years. Except she can feel his soul. He's also really bad at hiding things from her. The first time he and Black Star cut class and went out with fake IDs, he confessed to everything the moment he got back home. She hadn't even asked where he was that afternoon, the guilt was just too much for him to take. He was also slightly drunk which made him excessively chatty. But this wasn't some stupid thing he did in his childhood. He was in love with his partner. If she found out it would shake the very core of their partnership, and he couldn't risk losing her.

So he would keep it to himself.

It actually surprises him how long he manages to hide it. They've had the link between them for so long he knows how much she can feel and hear from him, he uses it to his advantage. He suppresses his affections and whenever she becomes too curious he redirects her attention elsewhere. Thankfully, she never asks about his noticeably longer showers. She doesn't want to infringe on his privacy. Bless her. When they're piled together on the couch, he clears his mind completely. One wrong thought and he's dead.

She doesn't seem to notice. Or if she does, she doesn't show it. He's hoping she hasn't caught on. He'll just continue torturing himself like this. Desperately pining after his partner and best friend.

Perfect.

Black Star invites him out for a game of basketball with him and Kid while the girls go out on one of their many shopping excursions. Summer's fast approaching and they need new swimsuits. The thought of Maka in a swimsuit plagues him. Basketball is a much needed distraction.

He gets home much sooner than she does. He takes advantage of the empty apartment and takes a nice cold shower to wash away the sweat and grime from their heated game earlier. Plus, now that he's not distracted, images of Maka in a swimsuit flash through his mind once again. It doesn't help that their sexy roommate cat wears the most revealing clothing ever and he knows she went with to help the girls pick suits. He imagines Maka in swimwear he's seen on Blair, picking things that realistically she might wear. Black with practically placed cutouts to show off sexy hips and draw the eye to mile long legs. His arm moves faster. Oh _Death_ _,_ she looks amazing in black. He hopes she's gets black. Except if she does, he'll never get to see her in it cause he'll surely be dead. She'll be home soon, she'll want to show him what she bought. Maybe she'll even model it for him. He finishes on that thought, once again cursing himself for being so pathetic when it comes to her, and trying to compose himself.

He's dressing in his room when he hears the front door close. "Soul? Are you home?"

"Y-Yeah," his voice cracks a little. "Just got back from the courts, I'm changing now."

"Okay!" He can hear her bustling around the kitchen.

He focuses on his breathing, trying to calm his rapidly thumping heart. It's always awkward for him to face her when he's had less that pure thoughts of her. He tries to play it off as his cool and apathetic image, but he's sure she'll catch on one day. When he's dressed in sweats and a t-shirt he makes his way to the kitchen, catching whiffs of chocolate and greasy food. She's mixing brownie batter in a bowl and there's a bag of take out from his favorite hamburger joint waiting on the table.

"I already ate with the girls, but I figured you'd probably want something." She pours the batter into a baking pan and puts it in the oven. "I was also craving brownies and ice cream. Brownies will be done soon, I got your mint chocolate chip ice cream, it's in the freezer."

 _Oh man, I love you._ He thinks, with every connotation of the word passing through his mind.

Her head snaps up so she can look at him, eyes wide, her eyebrows shoot up, hidden under bangs. The color drains from his face. **Fuck.** He forgot she can practically read his mind. His little slip up is gonna fuck up everything. She's gonna get uncomfortable around him, because she doesn't feel the same way. She'll eventually ask for another partner. He'll be left alone, ruing the day he let his feelings get ahead of him.

His instinct to run kicks in, he backs up as she approaches. "Maka, I-I... " how does he fix this? Ask her to forget it? She can't, she remembers everything. Does he tell her to ignore him because he's a pathetic mess and values their friendship over everything? That might work. No, it won't. She never ignores him.

His back hits the wall and he prepares to dash out the door. Her side of the link is giving no feedback, she just continues to gape at him and move towards him, the world moving in slow motion. He can feel her prodding and she senses his fear. She settles herself directly in front of him, giving him no space to run like he wants to. Her looks of surprise shifts into a coy smile and a light blush dusts her cheeks. One of her hands rises to cup his cheek. "Idiot, you're supposed to say stuff like that out loud." She slides both her hands behind his neck, pulls him to her level and gently places her lips against him.

He's on fire. Every bit of him is burning for her. The only part of him that matters right now is his lips because they're connected to her. This is what he's always wanted. His lips against hers, and it's happening right now! His hand instinctively reach out to grab her hips and pull her closer. She moves her lips against his, neither of them have kissed before, but his meister is a quick learner and he knows how to follow her. Her thumbs run along his jaw, he moans and squeezes her hips Oh, he loves her hips. And her legs. And her lips. And her. He loves her, and she loves him! This is the best day ever.

He flips them so her back is against the wall. He needs to show her how much he loves her. Words aren't enough. His hands move from her hips to her ass, gives it a quick squeeze, she squeaks but presses closer to him. He slides his hands down to her thighs, and she picks up his thoughts, throwing her arms around his neck so he can lift her, her legs wrapping around his waist. He's never been happier that she can read his mind.

She opens the link to him, showing how she's felt the same way for a long time, but not wanting to scare him away, she kept it to herself. His blood boils when he sees she´s had less than pure thoughts about him too. It excites him and he bites and sucks the skin on her neck vigorously, inspired by the sounds that fall from her lips. She´s so happy right now. She loves him so much. She can't imagine being with anyone else. It's always been him.

He's positive she's gonna have several hickeys on her neck tomorrow and that´s gonna earn him a hefty chop to the head. Plus there might be a few bruises on her thighs and rear. She won't be able to wear her new swimsuit for a while. She laughs at him. _Is that really something you should be focusing on right now?_ She asks over the link. Yes, he wants to see her in her new swim suit. Especially now that he can freely ogle her. She laughs again and shifts to leave a mark of her own on his neck, in a place that'll be much harder for him to hide, his hair's not as long as hers.

"You little vixen" he hisses. She merely hums against his neck, all too pleased with herself.

The timer for the brownies goes off and Maka's lips pop from his skin. She looks from the oven to Soul, he presses his forehead to hers. "Let 'em burn."

"Nah uh, I want brownies and ice cream. And you're food is gonna get cold." _Food now, more later._ She flushes as she send him the thought _._ He grins and lets her down, she rushes over to remove the brownies and sets the pan on the cooling rack. As much as Soul would be content to just sit and watch her, he realizes just how hungry he is, so he grabs the take out and moves into the living room. Settling himself on the couch, feet propped on the table, he flips through channels to find something for them to watch, and tears into his burger. It's the second best thing he's tasted that day besides her skin. He scarfs down the whole burger just as she wanders in with two bowls, sets his share on the table and sits as close to him as she can, resting her legs across his lap. He lays his hand on her thigh, marveling at how natural this feels to both of them. She reaches over and steals one of his fries.

"Oy, you had food earlier. " he pouts.

"Sorry." She kisses him quickly and goes back to her melting ice cream brownie concoction. Her lips taste lightly of chocolate and mint and he wants more. He leans in for another kiss and she meets him halfway, fries and ice cream forgotten.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hah, Soul!"

They're on his (their) bed, it's better suited for two people, his parents had treated him to a queen size. His head is home between her legs as she clutches his hair. This isn't the first time. Since their relationship started they had spent a great deal of time getting to know each other's bodies intimately, as intimately as they could without actually having sex. They didn't want to rush, they had plenty of time. Neither of them had been in a relationship before, and while they had been partners for years, they wanted to make sure they were both comfortable taking the next step.

Soul loves when Maka takes control, she's not shy in front of him, and she's quite skilled with her hands and mouth, but the elation he feels when she comes undone at his touch is indescribable. This is a side of her only he has been blessed to witness. She writhes against his sheets, panting and breathing his name.

"Soul!" She calls to him, she's almost done, but she needs more. His tongue flicks against her clit as glides a finger into her. Her hips buck forward to meet him, she sings his name to the ceiling. He demands an encore, a second finger joins the first. Her voice stops altogether and he has to pull his face away as she orgasms, his fingers still pump into her until she slumps to his bed, breathless and flushed. He pulls his hand from her and peppers kisses to her legs, belly, chest, gradually moving up her body until his mouth can connect to hers. She cradles his face and his hands ghost over the fresh marks he's left on her breast.

 _Your turn?_ She inquires over the link. His mind briefly flashes to the box of condoms he bought that morning and stashed in his bedside table. She pulls back for a moment and searches his eyes. He's ready, is she? He won't rush her, he can wait.

She tugs at his shirt. "If we're doing this, it's not fair for only one of us to be naked." Her cheeks are red and the blush has moved to her chest. He grins and gives her quick peck before he kneels to remove his shirt. She sits up to join their lips together and push him on his back. She tugs his sweat pants and boxers off, he lifts his hips to make it easier for her.

She straddles him, his hand grab at her legs while they kiss leisurely. Maka moves away for a moment so she can reach to the nightstand and grab the box she had seen in his mind earlier. She shifts herself so she's resting on his legs, unwraps the package and frantic eyes meet his. Fortunately, he had enough common sense to look up how to put on a condom when he realized how stupid he was for never paying attention in Sex Ed. He takes it from her and rolls it on the way all of the videos online showed.

She shifts again so she's closer to him, Soul panics for a moment, "uhh, Maka?"

Her eyes snap to his, "did you change your mind? We can stop" she moves to pull away. He grabs her hips to keep her still.

"No, that's not it. I was... Can we?..."

"Oh…. Did you wanna be on top?" She asks way too easily, he's mortified. She reads him for a moment. "Did you look up how to do this?"

"Oh for fucks sake." He flops backwards onto the bed, covering his face. He's beyond mortified now. She wasn't supposed to know! He wasn't studious like she was, Maka had a deep desire to learn. She wanted to know everything about everything. When Soul was interested in something, he wanted to be well versed in that single topic. He was a pro when it came to jazz music, he could tell you every detail about his favorite movie, and since his life practically revolved around Maka, he made it his main goal to be an expert on her. Naturally, when it came to sleeping with the love of his life for the first time, he wanted to be fully prepared, so he took to the Internet and looked up how to have sex for the first time. Not like in porn, but real awkward first time sex. Plus, he's nervous as hell, sue him. He doesn't want to feel totally useless, and he especially doesn't want to hurt her.

She laughs as she pulls his hands from his face, he scowls. "S'not funny." She takes one of his hands and holds it to her chest. Her heart is pounding as hard as his. Oh, she's nervous too. He laughs with her, it's alleviates some of his tension. And then they're kissing again, their souls mixing and humming. They're both new at this, they'll deal with the awkwardness and nerves together. She moves off him to lie on her back, he follows, taking his place between her legs. He reluctantly pulls away from her lips to balance himself on one arm while he grabs himself with his other hand, guiding himself towards her entrance. She grips his shoulders when she feels him prodding, he asks over the link if she's ready. Their eyes lock and she nods. He gently pushes forward, slowly gliding into her still sensitive sex. Her fingers scratch against him and she gasps. He goes slow, giving her time to adjust, reading the link to gauge if she's in pain. His arm shakes with the effort. When he finally fully sinks into her, their bodies pressed together completely, he thinks he could die of happiness. He rests on his elbows, her heads cradled between his arms. Her eyes are clamped shut, she clutches at his back, nails marking his skin. He kisses her forehead, her eyelids, lips, everywhere he can reach to offer her some comfort. He hasn't even moved yet and this feels amazing to him, he wants her to feel just as good. Her eyes flutter open and he's about to ask if she's alright when she _flexes_ and his vision blacks out for a second _._

 _"Fuck. Maka."_ Her laugh fills the room. He pulls his hips back and pushes back in slowly, her laughter turns into a moan. He wants to laugh at her reaction, but he's moaning too.

"Again." She demands. His body reacts to her command before he has a chance to process. His hips rock against her and nothing has ever felt this good. The bed creaks with the movement and she's singing his name again. She pushes off the bed so their hips can meet faster. Her soul demands more of him. More of this. She doesn't know how to convey how she's feeling to him, she settles on calling his name repeatedly. It sounds delicious, and Soul moves against her faster to draw out her praise.

There's no way in hell he's gonna last much longer with the way she's moaning and moving against him. They move together with reckless abandon, she arches to press his hips closer. He doesn't want to stop, _ever_ , but Maka's become incapable of using words altogether, the only noise that passes her lips is a chorus of steady high pitched "hah!" He´s so closeand she knows. He knows the chances of them finishing together are slim. He´s glad he could take care of her before, but his pride demands he at least lasts as long as he can to give her chance.

 _Come for me._ She urges through the link.

It pushes him over the edge, that little devil. His hips jerk wildly as he rides the waves of the best damn orgasm he's ever had. Finally, he collapses on her, he feels a little guilty for crushing her, but his body has turned into jelly. He manages to pull away from her and roll next to her on the bed.

They gaze at each other while they catch their breath. She's too far away from him now, and he realizes he might be the most pathetic, needy piece of shit ever. He literally _just had sex_ with his girlfriend, and he's already starved for her affection. Is it cool for the guy to ask if they can cuddle?

She smiles and it's infectious. She scoots closer to him to and lays her head on his chest.

¨You smell awful." She lightly traces the scar that crosses his chest. He can feel giddiness pouring off her in waves.

He puffs out a laugh. He knows they should probably get cleaned up, but he´s far too happy to move. ¨Way to kill the mood," he jokes.

Their hands meet over his heart. Her soul whispers _I love you_ _._

 _"_ Idiot," he kisses the top of her head. "You're supposed to say shit like that out loud."

* * *

Somehow, Maka manages to ask Soul to marry her the same night he had planned to propose.

They finally get around to visiting Soul's parents together. Figuring his mother is a basket case during the holidays when there are so many parties to throw, Soul decides not to subject Maka to that and plans a summer trip when his mother is more reasonable. His mother berates him when he calls "Really Soul? You're only going to grace us with your presence once every four years? You're pushing your luck young man." She's absolutely thrilled when he mentions his Meister will finally be joining him. "Oh Soul! I can't believe I'm finally going to get to meet her! What are her favorite foods? I'll get the cooks to prepare something special for her first night here. And you must let me take her shopping, do not deny me this!"

His family loves her, he didn't doubt they wouldn't, but it's still a relief. Celine Evans dotes on Maka the second she sets foot in the house, Maka miraculously becomes the daughter she never had. Asher Evans is pleased that his son has partnered with someone with immense talent and can see the positive effect she's had on him. Wes is besides himself when he "accidentally" walks in on them making out in Soul's childhood bedroom.

"You liar." Wes laughs when they're alone, Celine having stolen Maka away for another bonding shopping trip. Wes had dragged Soul out of the house to go eat at one of their favorite diners. " _It not like that,_ my ass. I knew you were totally into her. Why didn't you tell me you were together?" Wes waves a French fry at him.

"We were gonna tell you guys eventually, I just didn't want you guys to make a big deal out of it. " Soul shifts uncomfortably in the vinyl booth. "Besides, I'm pretty sure mom figured it out the second she saw us together."

"Yeah, there was definitely something there. I thought maybe the feeling between you two was the 'Soul Renaissance' or whatever you called it"

"Soul Resonance."

"Yeah, that. But it seemed an awfully lot like love." Wes wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. "How long have you guys been together?"

"We've been partners for like eight years now."

"No, I mean romantically."

"Oh, um." Soul takes a moment to pinpoint when it had started. "It's a little over two years now, almost three?"

"So, when are you gonna propose?" Wes laughs and shoves a French fry in his mouth.

"Um, actually, about that..." Soul sits up a little straighter, he folds his hands on the table and can't seem to look away from his fidgeting fingers. "I was gonna ask you if you could maybe help me pick out a ring?" Wes chokes on the fry. He coughs and splutters, Soul's about to rush over and perform the heimlich maneuver but Wes slams his hands on the table.

"HOLY SHIT, DUDE!" Everyone at the diner looks to their table.

"Wes, can you quit shouting for a fucking second?" Soul's used to this behavior from Black Star, but it's entirely foreign coming from his brother.

"BRO, YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?" Wes is half standing in the booth. A couple of the surrounding tables start applauding and congratulating Soul. Soul awkwardly raises a hand and thanks them.

"Seriously, dude, chill the fuck out." Soul hisses and yanks his arm down so Wes is sitting again. "And I have to ask her first." Wes looks like a fish as he gapes at Soul, his mouth and eyes wide open. Soul starts to wonder if maybe he's somehow broken his older brother.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah."

"Like, really serious?"

"Yeah, man. I even went and asked her dad for permission."

"Holy shit. You're serious." Wes falls heavily against the high back of the booth. Tears well up in his eyes.

Soul groans. "If you start crying, I will leave you here."

"I can't help it! My baby brother is in love and getting engaged!" Wes grabs a handful of napkins from the dispenser on the table and dabs at his eyes. "You seriously want me to help you pick out a ring?"

"Yeah man, that's actually why I came back. Honestly, my friends aren't that good at picking out jewelry, my friend Black Star suggested I propose with a ring pop and my other friend is obsessed with symmetry and the last time I asked him to help me pick out a gift for Maka it took like eight hours." Soul shudders at the memory. "You're pretty good at this kinda stuff, plus you're my brother. I want you to be involved." Wes lets out a shaky breath and a few tears roll down his cheeks. "Oh, for fucks sake. Waitress! Can we get our food packed up and the check please?"

Wes manages to keep himself composed while they browse through the jewelry store. Soul doesn't know the first thing about buying jewelry, especially since his Meister only wears it for formal occasions. How is he supposed to pick something she needs to wear everyday? Just as he suspected, Wes is very good at picking out rings. He helps Soul set a budget and find styles that he thinks are best suited for Maka based on what Soul's told him. It doesn't take long for Soul to find the perfect ring, it's vintage inspired, silver with tiny delicate details wrapping around the band and three small set in diamonds. Beautiful but practical, something Maka could appreciate. He has to call Tsubaki to ask if she knows Maka's ring size, he knows the girls have gotten her jewelry for some of Kid's more extravagant parties. Tsubaki isn't surprised at his question, Black Star probably already told her his plans. That dick. Fortunately, she knows and she wishes Soul luck, not that he'll need it. Wes offers to pay for part of the ring, but Soul refuses. He's been saving for this for a while. With his purchase tucked away carefully in his pocket, they make it back to the house.

"When are you asking her?"

"Tonight. I promised her I would show her some of my favorite places. She's been wanting to see where I grew up."

Wes presses a hand to his chest and sighs in relief. "Oh thank God, I would not have been able to keep this a secret."

"If you ruin this for me, I swear I'll murder you, this has been the hardest secret I've had to keep in my entire life, you have no idea."

"Don't worry. I won't mess this up. Good luck little bro."

When Maka gets back from shopping with Celine, she's wearing a new blue sundress and carrying several other bags with new clothes, courtesy of Soul's mother. Soul asks if she wants to take a break before they go out on their date, but she's far too excited to see where he spent his time as a child. He envies her energy. They drive by his old schools so she can see what normal schools look like. She's a little disappointed, they're kinda bland in comparison to Shibusen. He takes her to his favorite restaurant and after they walk around the city and he points out some of the old spots he would hang out with Wes.

She's enthralled with everything, he doesn't understand her fascination with things he would usually find mundane, but he's so enamored with her he shows her more to keep her happy. He takes her to the pier, he loved spending time by the ocean, and all the restaurants and stores set up lights outside during the summer and he figures it'd be a pretty romantic place to propose. They walk hand in hand, they're almost at the spot and Soul starts getting nervous. He's positive she'll say yes, but this is the biggest question you can ask a person. Well, asking someone to be your partner is pretty big too, but this is marriage! The lights that cross over the boardwalk flicker on, her eyes are drawn up as they walk beneath the twinkling strings, he watches her face and sees the glee in her eyes. He knew he picked the perfect spot.

Her eyes stay glued to the lights, she stops walking. He stops with her. "Hey, Soul?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you wanna get married?" For a second he thinks he misheard her.

"W-what?"

She shifts her gaze down to him. "Do you wanna marry me?"

His brain ceases to function. Did she really just ask that? He thinks briefly that maybe someone told her that he was planning to propose, but he can read over the link that this is a spur of the moment 'Maka' moment. She loves him more than anything and wants them to be together. Against his better judgement, he busts out laughing. Her cheeks puff in irritation.

"I'm serious, Soul!"

"I know, it's just funny, you beat me to it."

Her head tilts. "Beat you to what?" He pulls the small black box from his pocket. Her gaze shifts from his face to the box. Back to his face, her eyes are wide. "Oh!" He shifts slowly down to one knee, he pulls his hand from hers only so he can open the box and present the ring to her.

"Maka, I love you-

"Yes!"

He chuckles "can I finish first?"

"Oh right, go ahead!"

Better be quick he decides. "I love you, more than words can describe. Would you marry me?"

She's crying tears of joy, her smile is brighter than the lights that shine above them. He wants to take a picture of this moment to remember it forever. "Yes!" He stands quickly and she pulls his face to hers. She's crying and laughing between chaste kisses.

"Maka," he mumbles between kisses, "you should put the ring on."

"Oh, right!" She pulls away and offers her left hand. He picks the ring from the box and slides it easily onto her finger. He slips the empty box back into his pocket and she pulls him against her again. She tugs his hair and tugs his bottom lip with her teeth. He pulls away slightly.

"Did you even look at the ring?" There's a fire in her eyes that makes his toes curl.

"Excuse me sir, but I can admire my pretty ring later. Right now I really want to kiss my _fiancé,_ if you don't mind" the word raises goosebumps on his arm, he loves the sound of it.

"Fair enough." If his fiancé wants to make out in public, who is he to argue?

* * *

The bedroom door bursts open, banging loudly against the wall. Soul jumps slightly in his desk chair at the sudden interruption. He looks up from the music sheets on his desk. Maka teeters in, weighed down by various shopping bags hanging from her arms. She shakes her arms free, letting bags drop at the foot of the bed before she falls face first onto the mattress, bouncing a few times before she stills.

¨Soul, can we elope?" She moans into the blankets. Soul rolls the chair away from his desk towards the edge of the bed.

¨What happened?¨

¨Look!¨ Maka keeps her face planted to the bed and raises her hand to him.

¨You got a manicure?¨ He raises a brow. ¨You´ve gotten a manicure before.¨

Maka rolls onto her side and holds both hands out to him. ¨Your mother and Liz made me get fake nails! They glued plastic onto my fingers, Soul!¨ She waves her acrylic nailed hands at him for emphasis.

¨I don't understand. Why does plastic finger nail art make you want to elope?¨

¨Everything is out of control!¨ Maka rolls to her back and digs the heels of her palms into her eyes. ¨I´ve been waxed, plucked, painted, tanned, and groomed against my will! When I proposed, I just thought you and I could drive down to Vegas and do a quick, painless wedding.¨ She drops her arms to the bed and takes a few deep breaths. ¨ I appreciate that our parents are covering all the costs, and Liz, Tsubaki and your mom are planning everything, but I don't need the big wedding! Can we just call it off and elope instead?¨

Soul reaches for hand and rubs apologetic circles into her skin. Her fake nails feel strange as he holds her hand, he can understand why they bother her so much. ¨Sorry Angel, when I proposed, I wanted the whole nine yards. Church, party, everyone we know, and you in a white dress.¨ She pinks a little at the rarely used pet name. ¨Besides, the wedding is in two days. You sure you can´t hold out for two more days?¨

¨You´re not the one who has to sit for four hours to get your hair and makeup done,¨ she huffs.

¨I'll make it up to you, I promise. ¨ He kisses her hand.

¨How?¨

¨What did you have in mind, Angel?¨ She snaps her attention away from the ceiling to look at him. He doesn't say it often, but loves calling her Angel, it gets her worked up in all the right ways.

¨Well, one good thing came out of all this.¨ She gives him a devious smirk.

¨What's that?¨

¨Blair and the girls have been taking me lingerie shopping, and I think they went a little…. Overboard.¨ his blood boils. He was supposed to have the upper hand here, but she's teasing him and he´s eagerly falling into her trap.

He breathes in harshly. ¨Fuck, please tell me you're wearing some now?¨ She sits up and scoots so their faces are inches apart. She gently presses their foreheads together and ghosts her lips just above his.

¨Why don't you find out?¨


	6. Chapter 6

The whole school shows up to their wedding, mostly uninvited. No one would miss an opportunity to witness the wedding between the Last Death Scythe and his Grigori Meister, it's widely considered to be a historic moment. Soul could care less. He's about to marry his best friend and soul mate, it doesn't really matter to him who watches. Liz, however, goes ballistic. Every detail has been meticulously planned, and they can't accommodate so many people. While Liz and his mother scheme together, he sneaks off. Wes catches him in the hallway and offers a sly wink, he'll keep everyone distracted. He follows the tug of the link to the room where Maka prepares. He knows he shouldn't peak, but it's far too tempting. He cracks open the door and pokes his head into the room. A hand immediately slaps over his eyes.

"You shouldn't be in here," she scolds.

"Couldn't resist, he offers a toothy grin. He blindly enters the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Her hand stays glued over his eyes, he hears fabric swishing as she moves with him. His desire to see her grows with each rustle of her long skirt, it takes all of his self control to prevent himself from pulling her hand from his eyes.

"How did you get away from Patty? I thought she was in charge of watching you."

"Liz is throwing a fit, she's more focused on keeping her sister from having an anxiety attack than she is from keeping me from you."

"Poor Liz. And you're only going to make it worse."

He digs his hands in his pocket and shrugs nonchalantly. "Worth it. Where's Tsu?"

"Other room. I felt you outside and I told her I'd deal with you." He can only guess what expression she's wearing, but he's sure she's not as displeased as she sounds. The stern voice is just for show.

He reaches forward with one hand until he makes contact with her stomach. He glides his hand across the lace covering her skin to her hip, around to her back and pulls her flush against him. She squeaks but her hand remains firm over his eyes.

"Deal with me how? Curious how you'll do it, especially if you keep covering my eyes. It's kinda kinky, didn't know I was into blind folds."

She gives a half hearted slap to his chest. "Shut up, nerd."

"Make me," he taunts knowing she won't back down.

He's a little startled when her lips press to his, but he doesn't hesitate to pull her closer. The constant pressure of her hand over his eyes, blocking his vision, excites him. He dimly realizes he's probably is actually into blind folds, but that's something they'll talk about later. He pulls his other hand from his pocket and places it on her hip, fingers skimming the airy material that drapes over her legs. She's worn a dress with the fabric before, what was it called? Chiffon? It's hard to think when her tongue is so talented. He traces up to her waist and feels where the fabric changes from chiffon to lace. The hand that holds her to him shifts up slightly, just enough to confirm his suspicions. The dress is backless. He caresses the scalloped edges where lace meets skin, he ventures further up to inspect the bodice of the gown when the door is kicked in. Maka yanks herself away but keeps her hand firmly in place.

"SOUL EVANS, I WILL KILL YOU," Liz roars. "PATTY RETRIEVE HIM!"

"Yes ma'am!" Soul is whirled away from Maka, he catches a quick glimpse of white before he's whisked from the room. Liz is really laying into Tsubaki for not keeping an eye on them. She shrieks when she sees Maka's lipstick is ruined, they'll have to delay another ten minutes to fix her!

Patty drags him away from the chaos, Black Star follows cackling. "Dude, I didn't even see you leave! You should've seen your moms face when she figured out you were gone! I thought she and Liz were gonna team up to kill you man." Patty starts giggling at the memory, and Soul laughs with her, enjoying the fact that none of his friends can do more than threaten him today, his wedding day has gifted him with a special immunity. He's practically invincible today. He catches a glimpse of his reflection in one of the mirrors that line that walls of the hallway. He's definitely wearing some of her light pink lipstick, and he's pretty sure he had his hair pulled back earlier. His fingers comb through his hair, trying to find the elastic that had been holding it back earlier, but no luck. Hopefully, someone had another one, otherwise his mom is gonna lose her shit.

Ten minutes later, when he's devoid of lipstick and his hair is safely secured in a new elastic band, he stands at the alter, waiting for his bride. The pianist plays the song Soul's been writing since their partnership started. It used to be her song, he had written it with her in mind, her courage, her sincerity, her kindness, but the more he composed, the more their lives became intermingled and it became their song. It was their courage. Their loyalty. Their love.

Maka appears in the doorway and Soul's heart swells with overwhelming joy. She looks ethereal. Hundreds of people turn to see the bride, but she only sees him. The smile that lights her face makes Soul feel at home. Spriit guides her down the aisle, he looks awkward and clumsy next to her as she floats. Fucking Black Star of all people breaks down first. Kid passes him a pack of travel tissues. Wes grabs a tissue from the pack and passes it to Soul. If Black Star can't keep it together, how the hell is he supposed to? He quickly dabs at his eyes before he steps down to take Maka's hand from Spirit.

The ceremony passes in a blur, their attention solely focused on each other. When it's time for them to kiss, he tells her to behave herself over the link. She threatens to dip him, but he beats her to it.

The reception is held at Kids manor, Black Star and Patty serve as body guards, only allowing those with invitation in. Soul loses the jacket and tie as soon as he can, it's far too warm for layers. Maka watches him roll up his shirt sleeves and casually suggests they find a secluded closet. Apparently his thing was blind folds, and her thing was disheveled formal wear. She´s been taunting him all day with her sexy backless gown, he´s more than eager to let her drag him to a closet, but it's damn near impossible to get away when you're the center of attention for the day. Soul doesn't mind, Black Star is persistent with clanking his knife against his glass to have the couple share a kiss. That ends fairly quickly though when Black Star realizes the couple has no issue with heated kisses in front of their guests. Maka and Spirit share a tearful father-daughter dance, and she dances once with her mother (who miraculously showed up), but opts to spend the rest of the night dancing in Souls arms.

* * *

Married life isn't much different for them. They're still busy as all hell. Maka teaches a few classes and Soul tags along occasionally for demonstrations and to help the younger weapons that struggle. He does side work for Kid, attending meetings and visiting other branches to check everything is running smoothly. They go on missions together, Maka insists they take ones that are further away so they have an excuse to travel more. Most of their missions are dealt with quickly, so they take every opportunity to treat themselves to mini-vacations. Kid doesn't reprimand them for abusing their status, they saved the world, they deserve to take an occasional break.

They start making plans. They move from their apartment to a three-bedroom house. Maka stops taking the pill. She decides that they should let things happen naturally. They won't panic if nothing happens, and they won't drive themselves crazy trying to force something to happen. He argues that having more sex wouldn't be such a bad thing. She agrees wholeheartedly.

At nearly four in the morning, she shoots up in bed with a gasp and startles Soul awake. His brain isn't fully functioning yet, but he senses her alarm. "What's wrong?"

"There's someone in the house," she whispers.

Soul's arm shifts into a blade on its own accord. "Stay here." He's about to jump from the bed to investigate when she grabs his shoulder to stop him. She glares at their bed, like she's trying look through the mattress and floor to see the intruder. Her eyes glaze over as she reaches with her soul perception to find traces of the third soul in the house. "Can you see where they are?"

Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. "They're in our room?"

His eyes shift to the door. It's closed. As are the windows. There's no way someone would have gotten in, and if someone had been hiding in their room when they had gone to bed, Maka would have noticed way earlier. His arm phases back into skin and he places a hand on her shoulder. "There's no one here. Is something wrong?" Her perception has never failed them before. She continues glaring at their bed. Focusing so hard he can feel her concentration. Something clicks and her gaze whips from the bed to his face, eyes wide. "Maka, you're starting to freak me out. Talk to me."

She gingerly takes his hand and places it against her stomach. She forces a small resonance with him so he can use her perception. He sees it. A faint flickering soul, growing inside her.

"Holy shit." He kneels and presses both hands to her stomach. The soul flickers rapidly with the pressure. No fucking way! If it wasn't for her perception, he wouldn't believe it.

"Holy shit" he looks to her face, shes smiling and crying and just as stunned as he is.

"Holy shit, " he repeats again before he cups her face and brings their lips together. He kisses away the tears that dot her cheeks before resting his forehead against hers. "We're gonna be parents," he breathes. She bites her lips to contain her excitement and nods vehemently.

She has to convince him to put his phone down. No one is gonna be happy to get a phone call at four in the morning. Well, her dad probably won´t mind, especially if he finds out he´s going to be a grandfather. Soul's too excited to sleep now, but she convinces him to try. She lays with her back pressed to him, his hands cradling her stomach.

For a moment, he´s overwhelmed with the realization of just how incredible his life turned out. He had once been afraid of this. Of intimacy and honesty. Of needing someone and being needed. Of new experiences and the unknown. He´s no longer the insecure, uncertain child that hid behind an apathetic, cool demeanor. Now, he's a death scythe, a husband, and soon a father. None of these things had once seemed attainable to him, but this is his reality. There´s nowhere he would rather be than here in bed with his meister in his arms, their child growing inside her.

He places a kiss to the top of her head.

¨I love you,¨ he whispers into her hair.

She hums and nestles closer to him.

 _I love you too._


End file.
